Building energy-efficient new homes takes more than talking about solar panels and insulation. Fortunately, for those looking to invest in a new construction home while still taking responsible steps to protect the environment, homebuilders have all sorts of ways to go green with your new home.
Energy-efficient choices make a lot of sense when building a new house. In addition to helping preserve the planet, green building features help make new homes more comfortable and save homeowners money over the lifetime of the house.
NewHomeSource talked with some of the most prominent homebuilders in the country to learn more about their green home features that help the environment and their homeowners.
HERS is Here to Help
Determining if a homebuilder actually delivers energy efficient homes can seem confusing. Fortunately, the homebuilding industry has clear guidelines and industry standards that home shoppers can use as a guide to get connected with builders who care about protecting the earth for the next generation.
A common industry standard for home energy usage is the HERS (Home Energy Rating System) standard. HERS measures a wide range of facets that impact the energy consumption of a house, and gives home shoppers an easy to understand rating to help them decide between different home options. A HERS score ranges between 0, a net-zero home, to 150, a home built to the minimum standards of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code.
HERS ratings can also help builders measure their progress when committing to building energy efficient homes. In Mattamy Homes’ Tuscon community, Saguaro Reserve 2, homes have a HERS rating of 40, making them over three times more energy efficient than a used house, saving homeowners over an estimate $1,900 a year.
According to KB Home’s yearly sustainability report, the average HERS score for one of their homes is 46, making them over 54% more energy efficient than a home built in 2006. Their commitment to sustainability has saved homeowners an estimated $1.2 billion in energy bills, and has reduced the C02 emissions by 7.2 billion pounds.
Richmond American Homes makes it easy for home shoppers to find and compare energy efficient homes by making the HERS scores of all their home plans easily accessible. As you start your journey to homeownership, Richmond American Homes has all the information you need to find the right home for your values and your lifestyle.
ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR is a government certification system for home appliances that indicates if the machine is energy efficient. Buying a home with ENERGY STAR rated appliances saves money and the environment, while keeping your home comfortable and low maintenance.
Many new home builders use ENERGY STAR rated appliances in standard home packages because they add so much value to the new home. In addition to rating appliances, ENERGY STAR also rates new construction homes.
KB Home delivers the most ENERGY STAR rated new homes in the country, with over 190,000 homes built. KB Home was the first major homebuilder to commit to building ENERGY STAR rated homes back in 2000. KB Home delivers added value to their homeowners by designing and building fabulous new construction homes that consistently offer a wide range of energy efficient features. You can rest easy when you buy a new home from KB Home, knowing it makes your life easy and cost effective.
Main Street Homes also sees the value of delivering ENERGY STAR rated new homes to their home shoppers. A new home from Main Street Homes has so many ENERGY STAR features that it saves the homeowner around $100 a month in savings from energy and water costs. The energy efficient features in your new home from Main Street Homes also reduces leaks and drafts, allows your home to last longer, and improves the indoor air quality of the house.
Going Green Beyond the Home
Eco-friendly features can improve a community in addition to making an individual home more comfortable and affordable. Many popular community amenities like nature trails, undeveloped green space, and community parks make life more enjoyable for residents, while also helping to protect the planet for future generations.
SALT is a fabulous new home condo community in Oceanside, CA that artfully combines a comfortable community, fabulous homes, California’s striking natural beauty, and neighborhood wide eco friendly features. SALT embraces the leave your car at home lifestyle by providing residents with an unbeatably walkable and bikeable space to call home. Save money, the environment, and your health by ditching your car in the garage and exploring SALT’s many paths designed for a no car, no problem lifestyle.
Living in an off grid homestead or hippy commune in the middle of the woods isn’t a realistic living option for most people. Fortunately, eco friendly communities allow people who love nature to enjoy a comfortable living environment, while still giving them access to the natural world in a responsible way.
As you start your journey to homeownership, ask homebuilders in your area about how they can save you money and improve your quality of life by including energy efficient options in their home plans. Ask about green features in their base plans, as well as upgrade features that help the environment.
If you love the planet you can relax, when you build your new home, it’s easy being green!
After graduating in 2016 from The University of Texas with a degree in English, Sanda Brown became a content writer for the BDX with a focus on website copy and content marketing.
At the BDX, Sanda helps write and edit articles on NewHomeSource.com, writes website copy for builders, and manages a team of freelancers that work on additional content needs.
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